The present invention relates to toast warmers, more particularly to a portable toast warmer that comprises a plurality of power supplies in which an upper and lower part of the portable toast warmer can be detached from one another. The subsequently detached upper part of the toast warmer containing toasted foodstuff slices may be transported to any desired location well away from an external electric power supply while simultaneously supplying heat to maintain the temperature of the toasted foodstuff slices.
The prior art toast warmer or other similar device performs the unitary function of either warming or toasting one or more foodstuff slices, e.g., toasting a slice of bread. Examples of this include: the combination convertible toaster and warming oven disclosed by Wachtel in U.S. Pat. No. 3,073,342; the microwave oven toaster disclosed by Drews in U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,308; and the toasting apparatus described by Ochoa in U.S. Pat. No. 6,205,911B1. Typically, after the prior art toaster oven fulfills this unitary function, the foodstuff slice is then subsequently served in on a plate or on a rack. Examples of serving racks include the food retention rack disclosed by Brazdo in U.S. Pat. No. 3,915,309 and the rack for holding slices of toasted bread and the like disclosed by Snyder in U.S. Pat. No. 2,592,203. As a result, the once warmed delicious toast can quickly become less palatable and less delicious when the toast cools off due to convective cooling processes. To avoid unwanted cooling, one prior art technique has been to stack the toast slices together onto a plate and cover these slices with a blanket to passively reduce the amount of cooling. Unfortunately, the prior art technique of insulating a pile of toast slices over a blanket often results in producing an undesirable condensation of moisture often results between stacked toasted slices. Therefore, a technique is needed which can actively supply heat to already toasted foodstuff slices so as to make consumption of these toasted foodstuff slices more enjoyable because they remain warm and dry when the consumer desires to eat them.
While all of the above-described devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a toast warmer having a detachable upper and lower part, in which each part is connected to a separate electrical source that would specifically match the user""s particular individual needs of an apparatus which can be decoupled to deliver toasted foodstuff slices in an active heating unit. The above-described patents make no provision for this new function.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved portable toast warmer which is capable of conveniently and graciously serving toasted foodstuff slices in an actively headed compartment which can be placed on a dining area such as a dining table without an encumbering electrical cord connection. In this manner, the apparatus would allow the diner to enhance his dining pleasure by making available warmed toasted foodstuff slices when the diner is ready to consume the foodstuff slices. In this respect, the portable toast warmer according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art toast warmers and toast racks, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of achieving a warming device for serving toasted foodstuff slices.
A portable toast warmer apparatus is described having a lower part detachably coupled to an upper part. The lower part of the portable toast warmer is connectable to an external electric power supply and is capable of transmitting electromagnetic energy to the upper part when the upper part is coupled to the lower part. The upper part of the portable toast warmer comprises a means for receiving the transmitted electromagnetic energy so that foodstuff slices may be kept warm with the plurality of heaters mounted on the walls of the upper part when the upper part is coupled to the lower part. The upper part of the portable toast warmer also comprises a battery so that toasted foodstuff slices can be heated when the upper part is decoupled from the lower part so that the upper part containing the toasted foodstuff slices may be conveniently delivered to any desired location such as a dining room table.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known type toast warmers now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved portable toast warmer, which will be described subsequently in great detail, is to provide a new and improved portable toast warmer which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a lower part detachably coupled to an upper part. The lower part of the portable toast warmer is connectable to an external electric power supply and is capable of transmitting electromagnetic energy to the upper part when the upper part is coupled to the lower part. The upper part of the portable toast warmer comprises a means for receiving the transmitted electromagnetic energy so that foodstuff slices may be warmed with the plurality of heaters mounted on the walls of the upper part when the upper part is coupled to the lower part. The upper part of the portable toast warmer also comprises a battery so that the toasted foodstuff slices may be continued to be heated when the upper part is decoupled from the lower part so that the upper part containing the toasted foodstuff slices may be conveniently delivered to any desired location such as a dining room table.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution of the art may be better appreciated.
The invention may also include a battery which is rechargeable and associated circuitry for charging the battery as well as indicating lights for allowing the user to be aware that the battery is either low in energy or is being charged. The invention may also have a temperature sensor for controlling the temperature during the warming cycle. The invention may also have a timing mechanism for controlling the heating cycle. The invention may have optional insulated handles attached to the upper part of the portable toast warmer so that the user is not likely to be injured by any hot surfaces when transporting the upper part. Finally the invention may also have optional insulated legs mounted on the upper part so as to minimize any heat damage that the upper part may cause when rested on a table top. There are of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.
Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading of the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompany drawings. In this respect, before explaining the current embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not decomponent from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved portable toast warmer that may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved portable toast warmer that has a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such multipurpose storage unit and system economically available to the buying public.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new portable toast warmer that provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a portable toast warmer having detachable coupled lower part and an upper part. This makes it possible to transport toast within the upper part without unplugging the portable toast warmer.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable toast warmer having a detachable coupled lower part and an upper part, wherein the upper part comprises a battery and associated circuitry. This makes it possible to continue to toast or heat foodstuff slices mounted on the upper part when the upper part is not electrically connected to any external electric power supply. As a consequence, toasted foodstuff slices, such as toasted bread may be served in a container that continues to heat the toasted foodstuffs slices well away from any external electric power supply.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention or its application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty that characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a component of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompany drawings and description matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.